Living the Loire Life
Well folks, it’s still snowing like mad in Maine. While almost late March, there are several feet of snow on the ground, and it’s 22 degrees outside (that’s Fahrenheit, for my Argentinian and European friends). To be truthful once again, though – we are currently sitting by a lovely swimming pool at a house near Orlando. We managed to get away for the weekend, combining a long overdue visit to see my parents (and get them their first smartphone!) with the serendipitous visit of our good friends, Andy and Jayne, from England. While drinking my coffee this morning, I thought about all the great times we’ve had with Andy and Jayne, and in particular our visits to their place in the Loire Valley. If you 
could have been a little bird, perched on a branch on any evening at Le Bois, what would you have seen and heard? You would have seen a small collection of stone buildings, bathed in a golden light. There would be a purple glow on the horizon as the sun set over a field of grain, with a warm breeze carrying the scent of fertile ground. 
Coming from the vicinity of a large willow tree, you would have heard the slight tinkling of glasses – but more than anything you would have heard the sound of laughter. If you’ve ever thought about visiting France; or if you’ve been to Paris and now want to explore other areas of France; or you just like thinking about a warm place at the end of a tough winter, then read on.
We first met Andy and Jayne in Jamaica. Paula and I had decided to get away for a beach vacation – we were looking for a place we could just relax for a week; someplace warm and an all-inclusive. I like the all-inclusive concept – even though I realize I might end up paying a bit more (yes, true. Unless you drink like a fish, oftentimes it ends up cheaper to go “a la carte” so to speak, rather than all-inclusive), I really like the idea of checking in – not worrying about signing a bill or tipping, or even needing to carry my wallet for the week – and then settling up at the end. We soon settled on the Sandals Royal Plantation, in Ocho Rios. We checked in at the Sandals welcome center at Montego Bay, and were directed to have a seat, a drink, and wait for a few other folks that would be sharing the 2 hour van ride to Ocho Rios. We didn’t wait long; 20 minutes later we were rounded up with a few others to follow the driver to van. 
There was a porter steering an enormous luggage cart piled high with bags – which was odd as: (a) we were wheeling our own bags; and (b) one of the other two couples were wheeling their own. Oh well, I thought – perhaps there are several other couples who are already waiting by the van. Nope…no other people (Ok, I admit, the picture isn’t of the luggage cart – quite). As we settled into the van, we met our ride-mates. One couple was young, and clearly not too interested in anyone else. The other were our age, and we struck up a conversation. Andy and Jayne were British, from Hull, and on the end of a long holiday. They had spent a week or so exploring the northeast US, and were now winding down with a beach week. The luggage, as we found out, was theirs – packing light wasn’t one of their strong suits, but we all had a good laugh about it, and had a pleasant drive to the resort. We soon became fast friends, and had a fantastic week on the beach. We learned more about them – Andy had his own financial services business; Jayne operated a day care; they had two college age children; and, we learned, they owned Le Bois – a holiday “compound” in the 
Loire (pronounced “lwahr”) Valley. The friendship blossomed, and invitations to get together again soon followed – we had them to our apartment in New York, and we all went to Jamaica again the following year. As we were planning for a trip to Europe the next summer, Andy and Jayne suggested we spend a week with them in the Loire. “The Loire”…”Spending a week in the Loire”…it sounded so posh…and lots of fun – we quickly agreed lest they decided to withdraw the offer!
The summer approached, and we began to get excited about our trip. The plan was for us to fly to Paris, spend a few days there, then take a train to Le Mans where Andy and Jayne would pick us up and take us to their cottage compound in the Maine-et-Loire subregion of France. This area of France is about 3 hours southwest of Paris. This is a beautiful region of France, dotted 
with numerous Chateaux and stately homes, and bisected by the Loire river. The valley’s terroir produces some lovely wines, particularly around the towns of Saumur and Chinon. The landscape is characterized by rolling hills, forests, rural villages and agriculture. The area is still an important agricultural region of France, including significant beef, pork, poultry, milk and grains. It is also well known for producing Cremant de Loire, a sparkling wine (essentially a 
Champagne – you can’t call it Champagne because only sparkling wines from Champagne can be called Champagne) made primarily from Chenin Blanc in this region. The Cremant is wonderful and refreshing, with flavors of pear, lemon, and honey predominant.
After a nice weekend in Paris, we boarded the train for Le Mans. Getting to this region is easy, either by car, train, or plane. We opted for train, and were met by Andy and Jayne at the train station. As it was near lunch time, they suggested we have lunch in Le Mans before heading to Meigne Le Vicomte, the small village near their cottages. The day was spectacular – very warm and sunny – so we decided to sit outside. 
Lunch (La Fou du Roy) was all you could want from France – fresh seafood, amazing wine, and slow pacing. We shared some oysters – nearby Brittany is one of the worlds largest oyster producing regions, and the Breton oysters are not to be missed. The French are very particular about origin and provenance, especially for their seafood – and the restaurant was happy to tell us not only where the oysters were harvested, but when and by who. 
Farm to table is part of their culture. We reluctantly pushed ourselves from the table and headed to Loire Valley Gites, Jayne and Andy’s complex of cottages deep in the countryside. A gite is the French term for a furnished vacation property for rent, typically in rural 
areas. We wound our way through the landscape, passing through many small villages. As we left the little village of Meigne le Vicomte, we turned down a country road, through a few fields and forests, before turning on to the entrance road to Le Bois, our home for the next week.
The 2-acre complex consisted of: Le Bois – the main house; La Bucheron – an adjacent cottage; the grounds; and several other barns and structures yet to be restored. It’s a cozy setting, nestled in amongst the trees, and bordered by 
farmland. When Andy and Jayne discovered the property, it was in considerable disrepair. The original buildings dated from 1750, and comprised the center of a farm property. The previous owner had made an initial start to try to renovate the property, but age and interest caught up with him. Andy said they had been looking for a property for quite some time, but they knew immediately upon surveying the complex of falling down buildings that this was the one for them. A multi-year renovation process resulted in the gites as they are today. One unique and 
distinguishing characteristic of the buildings is the use of tuffeau stone, a local limestone. The yellowish patina on the stone hints at the age of the structures, and drips with character. Andy and Jayne wanted to maintain the original style of the buildings as much as possible – so while completely updated in terms of modern conveniences, the buildings exude ambiance. Farm buildings of this style were typically built in a
post and beam style, with large oak or chestnut timbers. The inside of Le Bois is just spectacular – exposed beams throughout that have been restored, stained, and sealed. I was very impressed with the upper level, where the exposed beams provide a loft-like feel in the bedrooms. You need to be careful in a few areas not to bump your head on one of the cross-beams – one of the compromises of keeping the architectural integrity of the original structure. But it all adds to the charm. We opened the windows in our bedroom and unpacked. While it was a very hot day, the room was cool – another feature of maintaining the original structure, which have thick walls that insulate the inside to a cool temperature. The lilac scented breeze carried in the sounds of the 
countryside – a few songbirds, a distant tractor, and the peace and tranquility of this private setting.
And so, our first week at Le Bois began. Each day settled into a routine. Up early, Andy and I would head to the local bakery to get fresh croissant for breakfast. The little bakery near Meigne Le Vicomte was run by an old couple who must get up at 3 am to prepare the day’s offerings! You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced warm fresh croissants from a proper village bakery! After coffee 
and croissant in the kitchen, we would plan the days activities. There is a lot to do in this region, from visiting one of the many chateaux, to doing wine tours or even kayaking down the Loire river. Or one of our favourite activities – just doing nothing! Le Bois has a 
wonderful heated pool, and we spent several lazy days just hanging around in the pool. One of our first visits was to market day in Langeais, a larger village about 25 minutes away. Langeais has an outstanding medieval castle in its center, dominating the quaint village. We love to explore local markets, and the one at Langeais was 
picture perfect. Local farmers and assorted food producers from the region displayed their products and encouraged us to sample. Both cows and goats milk cheeses are made locally. Selles-sur-Cher is a wonderful, slightly salty goats milk cheese. Cure Nantais is an orange washed rind cows milk cheese with a fantastic smokey, almost bacony, flavor. The 
charcuterie was even more local – various terrines, pates, and saucisson sec. We soon found ourselves loaded down with lots of goodies to try back at Le Bois, along with various baguettes. Andy and I share certain philosophies and views, and we both agreed that, as we were exercising regularly with trips back and forth from the house to the pool for more beer, we felt certain that the additional calories would not be an issue! Another day we all visited a chateau called Chateau de Villandry. It was originally built in the 14th century. 
The gardens were stunning – laid out in a Renaissance style, it was my favourite part of the visit (well, actually my favourite part was the lunch we had at La Doulce Terasse!). The historic significance of this region is very prominent. This was the center of the Duchy of Aquitaine, and the home of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine (famously portrayed by Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter). When King Phillip of France was unsuccessful in peace negotiations with Henry II, his army, allied with Richard the Lionheart (Henry’s son – a true family dispute!), drove Henry in retreat through this region to Henry’s home in Chinon, where he died. Henry II, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their son Richard the Lionheart are all buried at Fontevraud Abbey, near Chinon. It’s another one of the many interesting things about this region.
We had many great lunches as we explored the region. As we would typically spend the late afternoon and dinner at Le Bois, we reserved our local gastronomic explorations for lunchtime. The French certainly know how to do lunch the proper way. You are never rushed; wine is always part of the meal; and the food is always local. Our typical pattern was to order the house wine – a tip I give to everyone, especially when you are travelling in wine producing regions. The house wine will be what the locals drink; it will always be good; and it will always be the least expensive wine on the menu. We were fortunate that the Loire valley produces some of the best wine in France. While known primarily for white and rose wines, there are also good red wines, especially 
those near Chinon, in the St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil area. During the day, we would generally stick with white or rose, chilled as it was very hot this time of year (August). In the evening, at Le Bois, we would start with a nice sparkling Cremant, and then usually have a Bourgueil red wine (generally made from Cabernet Franc). The wineries in this region are all small, and generally family owned and run. There are numerous wine tours – Andy and Jayne usually worked in a tour or two when they were hosting family or friends (although Jayne doesn’t drink still wine, Andy picks up the slack for the Craggs family!). One place which really stood out for us as outstanding food and value was Le Bouff’tard, a little unassuming restaurant in a small village called Hommes. 
While not much to look at from the outside, the food, service, and value at Le Bouff’tard were exceptional. We went twice, once on each of our two visits, and both times had the prix fixe lunch menu with house wine. It was hard to believe that such good food could be served for under 16 euros per person. We had other memorable lunches in Saumur and Chinon – usually some type of seafood from Normandy or Brittany, along with local produce. It’s fun to explore this region of little villages. Like we often do while travelling, we get the itch to look at local real estate and dream about converting a little farmhouse of our own. We went out one day to look at a pretty little tuffeau stone cottage and associated 
barns, which had been partially restored, including an inviting swimming pool set within the foundation of an old ruin. I was ready to buy then, and there – but Paula, who is the more rational of the two of us, brought me to my senses. As we were leaving the grounds, Andy backed into a deep drainage on one side of the entrance road, and promptly got his rather expensive SUV stuck. We all got out to have a look – noting the back driver-side wheel just hanging in mid-air, unable to gain traction. We had visions of waiting hours for a tow truck, but for one of the few times in life, I was able to come to the rescue. I noticed a large piece of timber lying in the opposite ditch, which I dragged over and wedged under the wheel. With me pushing down for leverage, Andy was able to work the SUV out of its predicament…and Andy, bless his heart, dubbed me “Action Man” for coming to the rescue! Unfortunately it’s a nickname I would never be able to live up to – sorry Andy!
Late afternoons at Le Bois revolved around either the pool, walking around the property, or hanging out in the house. In the evening, we almost always ate al fresco, either on the back or front terrace. Both areas had BBQ grills that Andy had installed for guests. We prepared meals using local produce, always 
starting with cheese and charcuterie from our market trips, along with bread from the local bakery. We had talked about doing pizza during one of our trips, and one day we decided to do it. As both Andy and I have a competitive streak, we decided to each make a pizza and then have Jayne and Paula judge which was best. I totally ignored form and tried to focus on simplicity and flavor. Andy, being British, made sure his pizza was properly formed…that is, 
round – vs. my somewhat free form shape. While the girls ultimately refused to crown a winner, I had to tip my hat to Andy’s more traditional shape! On both of our trips, the week went by far too quickly, and it was soon time to say goodbye. For us, and I’m sure for most of you as well, trips like these are always most memorable when we can share them with family or friends. While these types of settings are beautiful by themselves, it’s the time spent with people you love that create long lasting memories. The Loire isn’t necessarily the first area you will think of when considering or planning a trip to France. Clearly, if its your first time in France, you’ll want to spend some days in Paris. But I encourage you to consider visiting this often overlooked region. Its affordable, and will really give you a strong sense of “going local”. As we finished our quick weekend in Orlando visiting Andy and Jayne (who are on holiday in the US), it was great fun remembering the good times we had on these trips. Thank you Andy and Jayne for the laughter, all of the lovely memories, and more to come.
Where to Stay
While there are many places to stay in the Loire Valley, I couldn’t recommend any place higher than Loire Valley Gites . This wonderful complex features Le Bois, which is the main house and sleeps 6 in 
three bedrooms, including a large master bedroom with en suite. The house has a large country kitchen, living room, and dining area. Le Bucheron is an adjacent holiday cottage which sleeps an additional 4 people, and includes its own kitchen, dining, and living room. The compound includes BBQ grills, a heated swimming pool, and is set on 2 very private acres in the French countryside near Meigne Le Vicomte. The property is well maintained, and Andy and Jayne can help you plan your trip with lots of information on local things to do.
Where to Eat
Where do I begin on this one?! There are so many little restaurants in this area that are worth going to, I hesitate to provide too much detail as you’ll want to explore on your own. If you enter the region anywhere near Le Mans, I would highly recommend Le Fou du Roy (2 Impasse Sainte-Catherine, 72000 Le Mans, France). It’s a small restaurant close to the cathedral and within a short 
tram ride from the train station – you may want to book in advance. It’s worth a trip to the little village of Hommes to eat at La Bouff’tard (5 Place du Huit Mai, 37340 Hommes) – go for lunch and get the prix fixe – it will be the best value meal you find in this region. In Chinon, I would recommend Bistrot de la Place (47 Place du Général de Gaulle, 37500 Chinon), which sits adjacent to a beautiful square with fountain. In Saumur, we really enjoyed Le Grand Bleu – the mussels we had here 
were fantastic. Also near Saumur, try La Cave aux Moines for good food in a really interesting setting. You’ll want to try mushrooms, of course – but also the Fouée bread that they are famous for. Finally, I would recommend seeking out one of the many weekly markets in the region – buy some of the local food and eat al fresco somewhere nice.
What to Do
There are so many things to do that it would be difficult to come up with an exhaustive list. You’ll want to visit some of the chateaux (castles) that the 
region is known for. We liked Chateau de Villandry ; Chateau de Langeais ; and Chateau d’Usse . There are lots of wineries to visit, and we found the winery at Langlois-Chateau to be particularly well run, with a great tasting room at the end. If you are a history buff, you won’t want to miss the Fontevraud Royal Abbey near Chinon. Founded 
in 1101, it is the final resting place of Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Richard the Lionheart. Finally, another fun thing to do, especially in the summer, is to kayak down the Loire. The river is not that deep, and not extremely swift. There are many places to rent the kayaks – we used Pole Nautique de Saumur. Or just rent some bikes and enjoy the fresh air.
How to Get There
The Loire region is very accessible by car, rail, or air. It’s a rural area, so you will need a vehicle to fully explore the region – don’t try to do this with public transportation. Driving is very easy in France, and this region has a well-developed highway system. If you are coming from the US, it will be easiest to fly into Paris. From there, you can either rent a car and drive to the region (about 3 hours by car from Paris), or you can take a train to either Le Mans or Tours (train will be about 2 hours from Paris), and rent a car at these locations. If you want to fly, the easiest would be to take a short flight from Paris to Nantes, and then rent a car at the airport.
Asado, Anyone?
Asador, a role he typically assumed for the family asados. The Asador is the grillmaster – he selects the meat; he prepares the grill; he tends the grill; and he serves the meat. It is, as I found, an exhausting job…but one with a lot of pride and satisfaction. The neophyte Yanqui offered to help – I wanted to learn more about grilling the Argentina way. After all, I had grilled and BBQ’d my whole life – should be a simple task. Reuben arrived carrying two enormous bags, obviously very heavy. I did some mental calculations, and immediately assumed he had entirely miscalculated – there were going to be about 10 people at the asado (including a few children), and he had what appeared to be about 12-15 pounds of meat. Well, I thought – perhaps they like leftovers (I now know that Uruguay and Argentina are #1 and #2 in the world for annual per capita beef consumption, at about 120 lbs per person!) I went upstairs to change for the “party”, and then came down to help Reuben. He took one look at me and shook his head “No…is not good” he said as he pointed to my crisp Polo shirt – ”Necesitas cambiar tu camisa”. My shirt? I thought it looked pretty good. ”No – como yo”, he said, pointing to his shirt. Ok – I went back and changed into an old t-shirt I had brought for the beach… a bit overkill for grilling, I thought – but I followed instructions. I was soon to learn that: (a) it gets hot in Buenos Aires – despite the name, there is often no breeze; (b) the asado is a long affair – perhaps 4-5 hours; (c) the Asador (and his helpers) are working the entire time; and (d) I sweat a lot!
has become the drink of choice for the Asador. Not straight, mind you – mixed with Coke. A big glass of Fernet and Coke over ice. I came down in my grubby t-shirt, walked into the back yard by the parrilla (grill), and felt the wave of sticky heat hit me – it wasn’t the grill (by itself) – it was one of those hot, humid days Buenos Aires is known for. Reuben immediately handed me a large cold glass of Fernet and Coke, and then turned to prepare the grill. I took a sip…not bad, a little herbal, but very refreshing. I quickly downed the entire glass. I thought – what a great start to my Asador experience! Reuben turned back and his eyes widened as he saw me finishing the Fernet. “Que pasa?”, I asked. He laughed and showed me that you actually just sip the Fernet slowly over time. While not apparent to me then, I soon learned that Fernet packs an alcoholic wallop – gulping it as I had was a big mistake.
can eat! I was in love – what a celebration! And I learned about the importance of the Asador – when the asado is finished, everyone stands and claps for the Asador – “Aplauso!”. It was exhausting work, and my shirt was destroyed. But I was on my way to learning everything I could about asado, and how I could replicate this back home.
a collection of v-shaped channels that collect fat and move it away from the grill – you don’t want fat dripping on the fire. The grate is permanently tilted at a very slight angle, and the entire grate can be moved up and down by means of a wheel connected by a chain. The general idea is that you control the heat by moving the grate up and down…and you keep fat from dripping on the coals. The bottom of the grill is typically lined with firebricks. The grill is rectangular, and enclosed on three sides. The side of the grill contains a brasero – this is a cage which contains the lump charcoal/wood that is used. The fire is started in the brasero; hot coals drop to the bottom, and then are raked across to the firebox. The old traditional method of the gauchos was to do asado a la cruz – this would be where you wire an entire side of beef or a 
lamb to a metal cross, then jam the cross at a slight angle adjacent to a bed of coals, and let it cook slowly. This is still done in the provinces, but not as much in the cities. The parrilla evolved as a way of replicating the original asado a la cruz – to cook the meat slowly, over a long period of time, with little smoke and no flames touching the meat.
the typical American BBQ which may do 1 or 2 different meats. Typically, the grilling starts with several achuras (offal). Now don’t get put off! For me, this is one of the best parts of the asado. The achuras typically include mollejas (sweetbreads…this is the thymus gland), rinones (kidneys), and chinchulines (small intestines). There are very specific ways of prepping, and grilling, each of these (I won’t go into details on this) – but generally the idea is that each are grilled well done and crispy, and served with lots of lemon. These are my favorite part of an asado – and while many Americans would initially balk at 
the thought of eating these parts, I encourage folks to try them. Next come sausages and cheese– generally chorizo (however, the Argentine chorizo is very, very different than Mexican or Spanish – they ar
you have many different cuts, some familiar to Americans, and some not. They could include Bife de Chorizo (essentially NY Strip); Ojo de Bife (Ribeye); Entrana (skirt steak); Vacio (a type of flank steak); Tira de asado (short ribs that are cross cut); Colita de Cuadril (similar to tri-tip); Matambre (another flank steak); and Lomo (tenderloin). One side note – most Argentinian beef is grass fed, range raised cattle. It does taste different (in my opinion, more beefy). 
we like dry rubs; we like marinades; we like herbs. In an asado, you are really going strictly for the flavor of the meat – for beef, you want beefy…for lamb, you want lamby….for pork, you want porky. Very technical terms, I know. But Argentinians rarely put sauce on their meat when cooking, and rarely smoke their meat. They don’t use dry rubs; they don’t generally use herbs. They use primarily salt (sal parilla, a large grain salt similar to kosher salt)…the meat…and that’s it. Sometimes they bathe the meat in salmuera when grilling – salmuera is essentially a brine that is sprinkled on the meat to keep it moist. The meat is generally cooked long, slow, and for most, to a medium/medium well level. This ties into texture – in the US, we typically value tenderness – this is why filet mignon is the most prized (and expensive) 
cut here. But in Argentina, it’s all about the flavor. Its ok for meat to have some texture (to not be soft) – not that you want it dry/overdone – but softer texture at the expense of flavor is a big no-no. I have rarely seen lomo (tenderloin) at an Argentine asado, because it lacks flavor – when it is on the asado, it’s usually for the children or elderly!
on a table, usually consisting of various salume and cheeses, along with other small items (olives, etc – think antipasto, as the picada is really Italian influenced). I have found that picada presentation is important – there is an art to preparing a picada with geometric precision. The picada is set out, along with wine/beer/etc. Once the picada is finished, a few cold salads are put out (remember, it’s hot in Argentina, thus the focus on cold salads). Very rarely will asado’s include any type of starch (although you might see it in an ensalada rusa – essentially a cold potato salad with carrots, potatoes, and peas). Usually it will be just a few 
types of green salad – perhaps a palmitos salad; ensalada mixta (lettuce, onion and tomatoes) simple sliced tomatoes and onion; or sliced avocado (called
US that are wrong. I’ve read that Argentinians put it on everything – wrong. I’ve read that it is the ketchup of Argentina – completely wrong (ketchup is the ketchup of Argentina). I’ve read that Argentinians use it like Pesto – yuck!! I’ve never seen an Argentinian use chimichurri on their pasta! I’ve even read that Argentinians marinate their meat in chimichurri – also completely wrong. I guess people are fascinated with this condiment, and so the stories take on a life of their own. Essentially, chimichurri is a condiment made with parsley, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, oil and vinegar – at its basic. Everyone has their own little twist – and frequently it’s made with a mild pepper we can’t get in the US – aji molido. The only thing I really like chimichurri on is a choripan (which may be the subject of another blog post). For meat, I prefer (and many Argentinians prefer) salsa criolla. Salsa criolla is something between a condiment and a salad. In most restaurants, it’s more like a condiment – slightly more liquid. At home, we make it with more 
substance. It is very simple – diced fresh tomato; diced onion; diced bell pepper; oil and vinegar; salt. You can put very tiny amounts of the vegetables and more of the oil/vinegar, and make it more like a little sauce; or you can, as we do, make it with slightly more vegetables so it is thicker – we put a spoon or two beside our meat to give a little bit of piquancy to the bite. Whether its chimichurri or salsa criolla – a little bit goes a long way. You don’t slather these on them meat. Just a tiny amount like you would use salt or pepper. Or, just use nothing at all – the beef, lamb, or pork flavor should stand on its own.
the craft beer movement has taken root strongly in Buenos Aires, I really prefer Quilmes, more or less the national beer. It’s a light German lager – some people may think it’s a bit bland, but on a hot day, its wonderful. But for me, an asado isn’t an asado without a good Malbec. Argentina produces some amazing wines, particularly in Mendoza, the Napa of Argentina. We are somewhat limited on what we can get in the US with respect to Malbecs. I often think some of the best stay right there in Argentina. Like we do with 
beef, Argentina imposes trade restrictions on imported wine – so while you can get great Argentinian wine there, its difficult to find a good selection of wines from other countries. Therefore, I think they save their best for themselves (as they should!) Here, I would suggest Catena Malbec – from what is arguably the most venerated wine family in Argentina.